Go Loco | Learn a language with advanced AI

Silent letters in German are fewer than in English but can affect pronunciation and spelling, so it pays to notice them.

Final -e

Das finale -e wird in sorgfältiger Aussprache oft als kurzer Schwa-Laut /ə/ ausgesprochen, also ist es nicht wirklich stumm, aber in schnellem Sprechen kann es verschwinden. Diese Endung erscheint bei vielen femininen Substantiven, Adjektiven und Verben im Infinitiv oder in der 3. Person Singular.

The final -e is often pronounced as a short schwa sound /ə/ in careful speech, so it is not truly silent, but in fast speech it can disappear. This ending appears in many feminine nouns, adjectives, and verbs in the infinitive or 3rd person singular.

	German Word(s)	English Word(s)
	Lampe	lamp
	Straße	street
	mache	(I) make/do
	wolle	(I) want

Fill in the Blankich mach(e) (machen)

I make/do

ich ____ (machen)

1 of 3

Final -en

Das finale -en in Infinitiven und Pluralformen wird im Umgangssprachlichen manchmal auf ein sehr leises oder stummes Geräusch reduziert, aber in standardsprachlicher Aussprache wird es in der Regel ausgesprochen. Diese Endung ist wichtig, um Verben und Substantive zu erkennen.

The final -en in infinitives and plural forms is sometimes reduced to a very faint or silent sound in casual speech, but it is usually pronounced in standard speech. This ending is key for recognizing verb forms and nouns.

	German Word(s)	English Word(s)
	machen	to make/do
	nehmen	to take
	Katzen	cats
	Blumen	flowers

Which of the following typically have a final -en ending in German? Select all that apply.

Adjective endings

Singular masculine nouns

Infinitive verbs

Plural noun forms

1 of 3

Final -s

Das finale -s bei Verben (Du-Form), Possessivpronomen und einigen Pluralformen wird ausgesprochen, also ist es nicht stumm. Das Deutsche spricht das finale -s konsequent aus, wenn es in grammatikalischen Endungen erscheint.

The final -s in verbs (you form), possessives, and some plurals is pronounced, so it is not silent. German consistently pronounces final -s when it appears in grammatical endings.

	German Word(s)	English Word(s)
	du machst	you do
	das Buchs	the book's
	das Haus	the house
	das Netz	the net

schwa Dropping

In rapid speech, the unstressed -e (schwa) can disappear in some common words and endings, so syllables are dropped. This happens mostly in colloquial speech and does not affect written German.

	German Word(s)	English Word(s)
	jede	every
	meine	my
	liebe	dear
	nehme	(I) take

When does schwa dropping (unstressed -e disappearance) typically occur?

At the beginning of words

In formal writing

Only in plural nouns

In rapid, colloquial speech

1 of 3

Prefixes

Common verbal prefixes like be-, ver-, ent-, er- are fully pronounced and never silent. They carry important meaning for the verb so you should pronounce them clearly.

	German Word(s)	English Word(s)
	bekommen	to receive
	verstehen	to understand
	entfernen	to remove
	erleben	to experience

How are common verbal prefixes like be-, ver-, ent- pronounced?

They are always reduced to schwa.

They are often dropped in casual speech.

They merge with the stem and become silent.

They are fully pronounced and never silent.

1 of 2

Summary

Final -e is lightly pronounced as schwa, -en endings are usually pronounced but can be reduced in fast speech, and final -s is always pronounced. Unstressed schwas sometimes drop in quick speech. German silent letters are minimal compared to English, so focus on consistent endings.

Silent Letters

Final -e

Final -en

Final -s

schwa Dropping

Prefixes

Summary